Salem-News.com is an Independent Online Newsgroup in the United States, setting the standard for the future of News.Publisher:Bonnie KingCONTACT:Newsroom@Salem-news.comAdvertising:Adsales@Salem-news.com~Truth~~Justice~~Peace~TJP

The Profiteers of Drug Addiction Will Meet in Florida

Is it sheer arrogance that the AAPM would hold their conference in Florida where pill mills have taken over...

Courtesy: allthingswildlyconsidered.blogspot.com

(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) - The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) indicates on their website - "The Physicians Voice in Pain Medicine" will hold its annual meeting on April 10th through the 14th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Florida has long been referred to as the "Pill Mill Capital" of the U.S. as well as "Flamingo Road" in the trafficking of addictive and deadly prescription drugs throughout the country.

The AAPM and the Federation of State Medical Board (FSMB) as well as the physicians mentioned in this article are currently under Senate investigation (with the exception of Dr. Mitchell) in the search to obtain answers as to why the U.S. is fighting a deadly epidemic of painkillers and pharma's role in the epidemic.

Is it sheer arrogance that the AAPM would hold their conference in Florida where pill mills have taken over storefronts throughout the state peddling painkillers for cash -- or is the AAPM just laughing all the way to the bank because of the profits made in their marketing of the term "the undertreatment of pain in America?" But there is more and it is beyond ugly. Here is the link to their annual conference painmed.org/annualmeeting/2013-schedule-at-a-glance/

Lynn Webster, MD, President-Elect of AAPM will be giving a presentation on April 10 from 7:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and it is entitled "Essential Tools for Treating the Patient in Pain -- What Every Primary Care and Pain Specialists needs to know." Dr. Webster was also Past President of the American Pain Foundation (APF). The APF closed its doors the day after the Senate announced its wide-scale investigation into the prescription drug epidemic. Webster is also currently under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

In Webster's well read book to the medical profession entitled "Avoiding Opioid Abuse While Managing Pain - A Guide for Practitioners", he made many interesting statements which may raise red flags. One of those statements is "In truth the prevalence of drug abuse and addiction in patients treated with opioids for chronic pain has not been established because of the lack of prospective studies. About 1% of the general U.S. population demonstrates addiction to opioids." See the red flags waving, Dr. Webster?

In the meantime, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) announced one of the recipients of its 2013 awards recognizing outstanding service and leadership in the field of medical regulation is Scott M. Fishman, MD.. The awards will be presented at the FSMB's Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass. in April.

Dr. Fishman is the author of the FSMB Foundation's 2007 book, "Responsible Opioid Prescribing," which was made very available to medical boards throughout the country and quickly became a recognized authoritative resource for physicians in confronting problems associated with the evaluation and treatment of chronic pain.

One statement in Fishman's book that should not only raise red flags, but send up flares is "Many people also under-report pain because they fear that pain medications will dull their cognitive abilities,lead to addiction, or result in unmanageable side effects. And last, some patients may believe that there is value in suffering, it is their due, or that in some way they deserve to be in pain to expiate some form of "wrong-doing" or "sinfulness."

I hope the words "wrong-doing and sinfulness" raise the eyebrows of the Senate Finance Committee when they read through Fishman's book and question where these words truly apply.

There is a large contingent of families in New England who have lost loved ones to prescription drugs as a result of addiction and death. This is putting them on notice that the FSMB felt it suitable to hold their Annual Meeting in Boston. Or do these families feel the welcome mat should be put out for the FSMB and Dr. Fishman?

A physician in Florida who is waging his own war on the prescription drug epidemic -- and is "not" under Senate investigation is Robert Ben Mitchell, D.O. of No. Miami Beach, Florida. Dr. Mitchell put on armor and mounted a white charger in sending a Letter of Allegation concerning complicity in genocide in the Florida Pill Mill Massacres addressed to:

Mr. Anand Grover The United Nations Human Right Council's Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Health. Switzerland

Is Dr. Mitchell's cry for help concerning the pill mills in Florida to the U.N. out of desperation? Or is this award process used by pain organizations to downplay the culpability and hands thrust deeply in the pockets of pharma?

I don't believe Dr. Mitchell is making a cry for help -- it's more like the biggest red flag waving to end this loss of life he is witnessing every day -- not only in his medical practice, but in his state of Florida.

LP -- I could have been a contender if I knew whether to push the door, or slide the door. Oh and then there's the power button on the CD player -- do I push On to make it play? Isn't it great that you never know what the contender will pull next? Love you and the laughter.

Salem-News.com Investigative Reporter Marianne Skolek, is an Activist for Victims of OxyContin and Purdue Pharma throughout the United States and Canada. In July 2007, she testified against Purdue Pharma in Federal Court in Virginia at the sentencing of their three CEO's - Michael Friedman, Howard Udell and Paul Goldenheim - who pleaded guilty to charges of marketing OxyContin as less likely to be addictive or abused to physicians and patients. She also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007. Marianne works with government agencies and private attorneys in having a voice for her daughter Jill, who died in 2002 after being prescribed OxyContin, as well as the voice for scores of victims of OxyContin. She has been involved in her work for the past 8-1/2 years and is currently working on a book that exposes Purdue Pharma for their continued criminal marketing of OxyContin.

Marianne is a nurse having graduated in 1991 as president of her graduating class. She also has a Paralegal certification. Marianne served on a Community Service Board for the Courier News, a Gannet newspaper in NJ writing articles predominantly regarding AIDS patients and their emotional issues. She was awarded a Community Service Award in 1993 by the Hunterdon County, NJ HIV/AIDS Task Force in recognition of and appreciation for the donated time, energy and love in facilitating a Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

sally March 24, 2013 10:05 am (Pacific time)

Adult personal responsibility......If an adult takes medicine or drugs and is intoxicated and walks into the middle of the street and gets hit by a car does not mean that 50 million chronic pain sufferers should be denied pain medicine.

June Knochin March 4, 2013 10:06 am (Pacific time)

What a well written article! Thank you so much for giving voices to the voiceless like my son Joshua who died in 2003 at 19 years young after becoming addicted to oxyconotin. It is most certainly a crime what this company did to my family and to a whole generation of people that will continue to destroy 1 beautiful life at a time. Fear and silence made this problem and it is only with caring, compassionate , intelligent,brave, people like yourself that we will destroy this devil that was released upon our innocent society so many years ago...

Karen Tyler March 4, 2013 8:24 am (Pacific time)

As the mother of an addict it sickens me that these people are getting awards for killing our kids. Ms. Skolek thank you for keeping us informed. I will try to be there when they come along with families from Learn2Cope.

Matt Johnson - Malibu March 3, 2013 12:48 pm (Pacific time)

Once again Ms. Skolek you shoot straight and with real purpose. I know your critics say many things but they are wrong, and most are either addicts or they hail from the element within the medical/phara community that profits so wildly from this tragic nonsense with addicting drugs. My greatest respect to you and thanks....